Whispers

Austin residents are invited to a special “Climate ‘Train’ing” event on Nov. 16, hosted by Transit Forward, Environment Texas, the city of Austin’s Office of Sustainability and other partners. The event begins at 11:15 a.m. at Downtown Station and includes a train ride, educational presentations and a community discussion on climate change and its effects […]

The city of Austin is set to hold its first A.I. Summit on Nov. 20, promising to offer “dynamic panel discussions with AI experts and opportunities to connect with colleagues across City Departments,” according to the Eventbrite info. The summit will be open to city employees. The event comes on the heels of a call […]

The latest Central Texas Housing Report from Unlock MLS showed a 9.3 percent increase in active real estate listings across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area in October, bringing the total to 11,599 homes. The months of inventory – which measures the current supply of homes in the region offered for sale relative to the […]

If you’re a property owner in Travis County who claims a homestead exemption on your property to reduce your tax bill, keep an eye on your mailbox for a notice requesting that you verify your eligibility to receive those benefits. State law requires such an eligibility check twice per decade, so the Travis Central Appraisal […]

Former Mayor Steve Adler and Miguel Arellano, TxDOT’s deputy district engineer for the Austin area, will be among the locally focused speakers presenting during the Smart Cities Connect fall conference that will take place Dec. 3-5 at the JW Marriott Austin hotel downtown. The conference will feature more than 150 panelists and experts involved in […]

Austin Chamber’s annual Economic Outlook luncheon will look at the business prospects – including larger businesses – for the Austin region following the recent presidential election, and will also look at the city’s ongoing affordability issues. The featured speaker will be Alan McKnight, executive vice president and chief investment officer for Regions Bank. The affordability […]

International construction consultants Balfour Beatty will oversee the portion of the Interstate 35 reconstruction project that runs just south of downtown Austin and will also play a small role in preparations for Project Connect construction. The company announced it was awarded a $746 million contract from the Texas Department of Transportation to manage the 2.5 […]

The Office of Police Oversight will hold a public drawing on Monday, Nov. 18, to select members of the Community Police Review Commission (CPRC). The 11 commissioners will be chosen from a pool of 31 applicants who confirmed interest in July, along with four alternates. The drawing will take place at 2 p.m. in City […]

Austin has unveiled the three finalists for the new director of its Parks and Recreation Department and is holding a meet-and-greet event Wednesday, Nov. 13, so that Austinites can meet them in person. The finalists, whose full bios can be read here, are: Jesús Aguirre, who has served as CEO of the Waterloo Greenway, and […]

As some City Council members prepare to leave the dais and others get ready for another year of service, the staff of those retiring have to find new jobs. Louisa Brinsmade, who has served as chief of staff for Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool for several years, has gone to work for Mayor Kirk Watson. […]

On today’s City Council agenda is a proposed ordinance that would “slow down and erect roadblocks to citizen-initiated petitions for ordinances, charter amendments, and recall of sitting council members,” according to a message from the Save Our Springs Alliance. The proposed ordinance “would require petitioners to register with the city clerk before launching a petition […]

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) has received two grants totaling over $750,000 to expand health care and self-sufficiency services for its residents. Through its Austin Pathways subsidiary, HACA aims to enhance programs that support health and self-sufficiency for families. A $500,000 grant from the St. David’s Foundation will extend the Bringing […]